F&ES 953a,b

Business and the Environment Clinic

In this class, students work as a team on a specific project for an external organization. It provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge of business and environmental issues to real-life situations. It also provides a unique opportunity for students to manage a real-life consulting client engagement. Examples of projects include (1) developing a corporate sustainability scorecard for an organization’s suppliers; (2) researching the market opportunity for a new environmentally friendly product or service; and (3) recommending operational improvements around energy usage, waste disposal, etc. The intent is to provide a “capstone” experience, calling for the application of skills and tools learned from previous classes. There are weekly in-class lectures and team meetings with the instructor. Lectures address topics such as project management, and business evaluation and competitive analysis. There are also guest speakers who discuss various environmental and sustainability topics such as sustainability reporting, developing a corporate environmental strategy and environmental certifications and labeling. Prerequisites for F&ES students applying to the clinic are at least one of the following courses (or equivalent experience): F&ES 578b, 680a, 807a, 821b, or 832a,b. SOM students need to have completed their first term at the School.